The Siberian Cat, a trooper...in our opinion one of the best cat breeds in the world.

The Siberian Cat originates in Russia. It is a semi long-haired cat, appreciated over the years for its’ sweet and affectionate temperament. The registrations of the Siberian Cat started in 1987 by the Kotofei Cat Club in St. Petersburg. It was soon followed by The Fauna Club in Moscow.
The exact origin of the Siberian Cat is impossible to confirm due to lack of documentation. It's a Russian house cat breed. Just, like any stray cat, if given some food and a warm place to stay, it will gradually become more or less domesticated. Cats are good rodent hunters and were therefore imported to cities like Leningrad ( St. Petersburg) to keep the rats under control sometimes at the end of the 1940’s or the beginning of the 1950’s.

A stray cat has mostly low status in any country, especially after the World War II when Europe and former USSR were recovering from the long war.
The modern breeding started from these cats, taken to homes from the streets of Leningrad and Moscow.In the 1960´s the breeding was in small scale, but during the second Russian “revolution” when political system was reformed, the breeding started in larger scale. Export started as well, in the end of 1980’s. The breeders used different cats as foundations; they took them often from the streets. There were also importations from Northern Asia, this started in 1999.

Sibcoon's El Dorado aka "Buddha", above: 4 months old and below the same cat at the age of 2 years

Siberian Cat comes in traditional colours. Unfortunately it comes also in with or with out the colourpointed gene, the Siamese gene and it comes also in pointed colours, except lilac and cinnamon. However, I do not consider the colourpointed Siberian as a Siberian, it's a Neva Masquerade, a manufactured breed with Siberian and Old type of Siamese.

FIFe accepted the Neva Masquerade (NEM) as the sister breed to the Siberian Cat.

Lena Nordström with FIN*Piperitan Bastet

The FIfe's Siberian cat model: Gelious Onyx Gloria, was a colourpoint carrier. Gelious is in many Siberian Cat pedigrees.

Many traditional Siberian pedigrees have colourpointed Siberians, i.e a cat called Mars who was a colourpoint,SIB a 09 21 33.

 Not unusual that colourpointed kittens are being born from two traditional coloured Siberian Cat parents. This doesn't mean that it is good to sell colourpoint carriers for breeding to such catteries that do not care and mix Neva Masquerade and Siberian cat.

Future

Hopefully, the Siberian cat will preserve the type and we will see in the show rings healthy, robust and strong looking Siberian Cats with correct type.

Ofcourse, this depends on the judges aswell. The breed might face undesired consequences like resembling the traditional Persian cat if judges nominate and choose as BIS winner "salong" Siberians where the authentic look of the Siberian cat is replaced by the soft cuteness of the traditional Persian cat.
Luckily there are those judges who feel responsible and appreciate the wild look of the this breed.

For those who judge siberian cats

Study the breed and its' history and don't bring forward the traditional Persian cat look in Siberians- do not encourage the breeders to do extreme breeding with too small ears and too short muzzle, too long coat with lots of fluff.
Also, a Siberian should not have that fluffy Persian cat grooming, instead the coat should look heavy and water repellent.
Talk to true Siberian specialists, they are Russian by the way. Check the bites, the tail knicks and do pay attention to the coat quality. Also, please don't look for a domed forehead...it should be slightly arched on a Siberian Cat. There is no Modern Type of a Siberian...the modern type means the traditional Persian type .

An example how new the Siberian Cat is in West, the first imports:

WCH Felix

USA 1990
Czech Republic 1987
Finland 1992
Sweden 1997, pets
Sweden 2000, breeding
South Africa 2000
United Kingdom 2002
Australia 2001

Yasmin S.
Editor in chief

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23.2.2010